Cubs help AL contenders with trades

Posted: Wednesday, September 01, 1999

By The Associated Press

The Chicago Cubs haven't done much to help themselves during a dismal season, but they helped Boston and Cleveland fill holes just prior to Tuesday night's deadline for players to be available for playoff rosters.

The Cubs traded closer Rod Beck to the Red Sox and catcher Tyler Houston to the Indians.

Beck became the fifth pitcher with 50 saves last season, but struggled at the start of this year, going 2-4 with four blown saves and a 10.54 ERA.

He was placed on the disabled list May 17 with bone spurs and chips in his right elbow, and underwent surgery five days later. He was activated July 21.

Beck has a 5.51 ERA and no decisions in 15 games since returning. He will likely become Boston's closer, since Tom Gordon has missed most of the season with an arm injury and Tim Wakefield was forced back into the Red Sox rotation due to other injuries.

The Indians acquired Houston as insurance in case Sandy Alomar's left knee keeps him out of the playoffs.

Houston, who also plays third base, is hitting .233 with nine home runs and 27 RBIs in 100 games.

The Indians will remove a player from the 40-man roster when Houston reports to Cleveland on Wednesday.

The Cubs got reliever Mark Guthrie and a player to be named for Beck, and minor league pitcher Richard Negrette for Houston.

Guthrie, a left-hander, is 1-1 with a 5.83 ERA in 46 relief outings this season.

Negrette, 23, is 1-3 with one save and a 6.15 ERA in 33 relief appearances for Double-A Akron this year.

In the National League, Arizona and Houston each obtained veteran hitters before the deadline.

The Diamondbacks picked up Lenny Harris from the Colorado Rockies for 20-year-old minor league second baseman Belvani Martinez.

Harris, who has played all four infield positions and the outfield in his 12 years in the major leagues, is hitting .297 this season.

The Astros, after a recent rash of injuries to their outfield, got Stan Javier from the San Francisco Giants for pitching prospect Joe Messman.

Javier, a 15-year major league veteran, has hit .276 with three home runs and 30 RBIs in 112 games this season with the Giants.

Messman, a 24-year-old right-hander, is 2-4 this season with 15 saves and a 2.54 ERA in 44 relief appearances for Single-A Kissimee.

Also:

-- Toronto signed free agent catcher Pat Borders, the Blue Jays' World Series MVP in 1992, and called up reliever John Hudek from Triple-A Syracuse.

-- Baltimore acquired left-hander Jimmy Hamilton as the player to be named in Friday's trade that sent Harold Baines to the Cleveland Indians. Hamilton will be assigned to the Orioles' Triple-A affiliate in Rochester.

-- Atlanta signed free agent catcher Jorge Fabregas, who was recently released by the Florida Marlins.

-- In addition to acquiring Harris, Arizona also purchased the contract of outfielder Turner Ward from Triple-A Tucson and placed him on the 15-day disabled list with tendinitis in his right knee.

-- Cleveland also purchased the contracts of lefty reliever Jim Poole from Double-A Akron and right-hander Sean DePaula from Buffalo.